Jones is hard-nosed, prickly, abrasive... and deserves backing

The countdown to the 2019 World Cup is ticking – so action is required from the RFU

Eddie Jones should be backed by the RFU to take England all the way to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. There has been so much unrest, so many back-room staff heading through the doors marked “Exit”, so many whispers of discontent, all allied to a slump in form which has seen England win only one of their past six Test matches, the dead-rubber third Test against the Springboks, that it is only natural to wonder if the myth of Jones as a two-year crash-and-burn operator holds truth.

You might argue that too much has been invested in his regime to head down another coaching route with only 12 months to go to the World Cup in Japan. Such an argument has little merit. Either you believe in your man or you do not.

If you think Jones has had a stinker, then sack him. If you do not, then back him. There is more. Either you found reason to dispute Jones’ no-nonsense, hard-nosed, prickly, abrasive, confrontational methods during England’s record-breaking run of 18 Test victories or you have only just unearthed objections to the way he goes about business because results on the field have taken a dive. It is a bit late to cry foul now.

Jones is not a man without history, or a track record for that matter, not all of it particularly wholesome or with unadorned success. At his unveiling press conference at Twickenham in November 2015, all was sweetness and light until the final question of the day which came from the rear of the room. “Mr Jones?” said the voice of a Japanese TV broadcaster. “Japan players say you the devil. What do you say about this?”

The rapid response was trademark Jones – sharp, pointed and funny.

“One day the devil, mate,” said Jones. “The next day an angel.”

Of course, there have been concerns about the hard yakka that England players have been subjected to in training. It certainly appeared that they were short of a gallop in the 2018 Six Nations. The RFU would be right, too, as an employer committed to good HR practices, to monitor the reasons behind the back-room departures with head of science and conditioning, Dean Benton, and psychologist, Dan Abrahams, the latest to head for new pastures.

But Jones is no mug. It is not in his interests given his round-theclock commitment to getting up to scratch not just to compete but to win in Japan to allow the whole edifice to come tumbling down. His verbal targeting of opposition players, such as Ireland’s Johnny Sexton (for which he later apologised) and Rhys Pathchell prior to the Wales game last season is unedifying. But, again, that is the character that was hired, an Australian who was suckled from the metaphorical teat on the dubious art of sledging.

Some might find it childish and unbecoming. Others believe in the art of gamesmanship, of probing

Jones is a street fighter and it needs a strong person to stand up to him

for an edge no matter what. Stuart Lancaster was a gent. Eddie Jones is a street-fighter.

Jones does need to be challenged. He does need a strong character to stand up to him. Perhaps that is the thinking behind the imminent arrival of former All Black and England assistant coach, John Mitchell, into the fold, ostensibly as the replacement for defence coach, Paul Gustard.

Andy Cosslett, the RFU chairman, was firm in his view at the end of the tour to South Africa that Jones was not guaranteed “unconditional” backing as any employee situation is in a constant state of appraisal.

That’s as may be. If England were to get wiped out in the four November Tests of the Quilter series against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia – Japan provide the fourth opposition – then there would inevitably be close scrutiny of Jones’ fitness for purpose. But even then, Jones has earned credit for slack to be cut for him to turn it around.

But now is not the time to question his fitness for purpose, no matter the behind-the-scenes upheavals.

This is a critical phase for English rugby. The RFU has been under the hammer with a hefty redundancy programme causing internal stress as well as the questioning of their commercial direction from the likes of former chief executive Francis Baron.

You’d think that English rugby was on skid row. It is not.

The 12-month World Cup countdown is almost upon us. It is time for the RFU and England to declare their colours.